On January 30, 2009, a veteran posted the following on the transition stories blog on www.military.com:

“I ended up paying more than $400 to help find me a job and to no avail. I was now out $400 and no job. So I continued to look on my own… I received a call stating that [a company] had seen my resume on a job board and would like to come in for an interview. Well this would be the answer to my prayers… Now I love my job, I get to help people by finding them jobs after they transition and the best part of it is that the people that I find jobs do not have to end up like I did and fork out an arm and a leg to find nothing. Check out veteran job boards, you have nothing to lose.” Submitted by Mrs. Sharleene Davidson. View the entire entry.

Veteran job boards are a safe and effective job search avenue, especially in a tough economy. But be weary of anyone who is willing to take your money in exchange for the promise of finding you a job. Any reputable transition assistance resources (recruiters and job boards) are free to transitioning military job seekers.

CivilianJobs.com is a company dedicated to helping introduce military-experienced job seekers to employers specifically seeking military-experienced talent. Sign up for their services and your resume will be posted on a veteran job board routinely searched by companies already sold on the value of military experience. CivilianJobs.com also hosts military job fairs in cities across the country, allowing you to sell yourself to potential employers in person. Best of all, these services won’t cost you anything.

While job boards (such as the one hosted by CivilianJobs.com) and the services of a reputable recruiting firm (such as Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI)) are free, your resume is one tool in your arsenal that may be worth investing in. My company, MilitaryResumes.com, offers professional resume writing services specifically tailored to the unique needs of military job seekers. Your resume can make or break a first impression… and you only get one chance to make a great first impression as it is impossible to apply for most jobs twice. A great resume will also get you a greater rate of return on job board searches.

These are the top three reasons that MilitaryResumes.com customers point to as to why they think it was beneficial to have their resume professionally written:

Modesty can be a roadblock to adequately playing up one’s knowledge, skills, ability, and accomplishments. Professional resume writers who specialize in military resume writing have the know-how to make military-experience shine.

Portraying military experience to a civilian audience in a meaningful, attention-grabbing way is daunting for many military-experienced job seekers. The MilitaryResumes.com team not only consists of professional resume writers with years of specialized military resume writing experience under their belts, but is managed by a team with decades of military-to-civilian placement experience.

The job market is more competitive than ever. There is a glut of resumes crossing hiring managers’ desks and filling their inboxes. Our customers realize that they only have one chance to make a first impression and aren’t willing to risk that perfect opportunity by presenting a less than perfect resume.